Volume 53 Issue 8

MEET THE CANDIDATES NEWS, page 4 and 5

FILMS FOR FRIGHT OPINION, page 6

SOFTBALL TO STETHOSCOPES FEATURES, page 7

As Student Government senate elections approach, it’s important to know who’s in your corner. Check out our profiles on each of the candidates and decide which five will earn your vote on Oct. 28.

Pop some corn and get your candy ready!

Contributor Bryce Lawson walks you through five horror movies to haunt your Halloween season.

Whether it’s balls to gloves or those in need of resources that can help, Meghan King has always had a passion for connecting people.

Learn about King’s journey from the softball field to USF St. Petersburg’s nursing program.

THE CROW ’S NEST T H E C A M P U S N E W S PA P E R AT U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F L O R I D A S T. P E T E R S B U R G

Volume 53, Issue 8 - October 21, 2019 | Online at crowsneststpete.com

@CrowsNestStPete

@USFCrowsNest

@USFCrowsNest

@USFSPCrowsNest

Murals, museums and more

PATRICK TOBIN | THE CROW’S NEST

St. Petersburg muralist Justin Wagher paints one of the 10-foot wooden panels in the lobby of Station House on Oct. 18. The event, which occupied four of the venue’s five floors, centered around nurturing local artists and celebrating Station House’s expansion into the Hyde Park neighborhood.

See story, Page 8.

New consolidation plan wins praise in St. Petersburg

By Nancy McCann Contributor t. Petersburg campus leaders would have significant responsibility for academics, budgets and student life under a revised plan for consolidating the three campuses of USF next July.

The plan, which was released Thursday, promises to preserve the “distinctive identities” of all three campuses and to give “clear responsibility and accountability” for academic and budgetary decisions to the regional chancellors of the two smaller campuses.

Although many details are still in the works, the new plan was quickly welcomed by three key players in the ongoing consolidation debate.

One was state Rep. Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, the chief legislative architect of consolidation and key defender of the St. Petersburg campus.

Sprowls joined USF system President Steve Currall in presenting the new plan to the editorial board of the Tampa Bay Times on Thursday morning.

The second was the Times,

S

which praised the new plan as a “substantial improvement” over Currall’s first plan five weeks ago.

And the third was history professor Ray Arsenault, who as president of the USF St. Petersburg Faculty Senate has been an outspoken critic of the consolidation process and Currall’s first plan.

“Short of retaining our separate accreditation, it’s about as good as we could hope for,” said Arsenault.

“Compared to the original plan, it’s like night and day. It shows that President Currall listened to our criticisms and all the voices that were raised in objection to the original plan.”

At issue in the long months of consolidation planning was the status of the St. Petersburg and SarasotaManatee campuses, which will lose their independent accreditation when the three campuses become what Currall calls “One USF, Geographically Distributed.”

A 17-member consolidation task force recommended that the two smaller campuses become full

branch campuses, as defined by the regional agency that accredits USF. That means St. Petersburg and SarasotaManatee should have strong leaders with substantial authority over academics and budgets.

Sprowls and other key Pinellas legislators agreed.

When then-USF system President Judy Genshaft pointedly declined to endorse that status for the smaller campuses, the Legislature amended the Florida statutes in June to mandate it.

Currall, who succeeded Genshaft on July 1, says the plan he released Thursday complies with both state law and the requirements of the accrediting agency.

In a memo to the USF community, he and Regional Chancellors Martin Tadlock of St. Petersburg and Karen Holbrook of SarasotaManatee call consolidation “an extraordinary opportunity for the USF community to strengthen our stature as a Preeminent Research University and to converge on new and innovative ways to serve our students, faculty, alumni and the broader Tampa

Bay region in our quest to be a top-25 public university.”

Under the revised plan, they say, “new strategic investments will preserve the distinctive identities of each of our campuses, building on areas of strength and drawing upon faculty expertise from across USF campuses and colleges.”

The proposed structure under the new plan includes these highlights for St. Petersburg: • A reassignment of some academic programs from the Muma College of Business in Tampa to St. Petersburg, such as bachelor’s and master’s degrees in finance.

• An interdisciplinary USF Center of Excellence in Oceanographic and Environmental Sciences.

• An interdisciplinary USF Center of Excellence in STEM Education.

• Distinctive programs in Journalism and Digital Communications and an interdisciplinary research center in Florida Studies, a program that Arsenault cofounded 16 years ago. >> SEE PRAISE on P2

New SG constitution passes

By Dylan Hart dhart4@mail.usf.edu

A

ll three USF Student Governments passed a new constitution last week, which — should it pass a student referendum — would determine how SG will function in a consolidated university and gives the authority to administer Activities and Services fees to a senate based in Tampa and populated primarily by Tampa senators.

Senators at USF St. Petersburg passed the bill with 11 votes and one abstention on Oct. 14. USF Tampa’s legislative branch passed the bill unanimously on Oct. 15.

The next day, senators at USF Sarasota-Manatee passed it as well.

The constitution would change the structure of SG to follow a federalized model, where senators from all campuses would be part of an overarching senate in Tampa.

Each campus would also have an independent “campus council,” to oversee local legislation, as well as a campus court and a campus governor.

The general student population will have a chance to vote on the constitution later this month in a referendum. If students reject the constitution, it will be turned over to university administration for a final decision.

For more information about the constitution, read our Oct. 13 coverage at crowsneststpete.com.

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PRAISE, continued from P1 • A path for expanded nursing, public health, architecture and community design, engineering and other programs in both St. Petersburg and SarasotaManatee.

The plan also spells out “clear responsibility and accountability (i.e., ‘authority’) for academic and budgetary decisions” for Tadlock and Holbrook.

That responsibility and accountability would cover “decision-making regarding branch campus academic programs, in collaboration with college deans and faculty members”; campus academic performance outcomes; assessing and planning future faculty needs and promotion decisions; providing equitable support services for all students, faculty and other personnel on branch campuses; proposing and implementing branch campus budgets; and leading daily branch campus operations.

However, the plan also makes clear that Ralph Wilcox, the provost of the USF system, will be a powerful player in the new structure.

He “will adjudicate,” the plan says, when the two regional chancellors and other campus leaders cannot reach consensus on academic programs and faculty appointments, assignments and performance appraisals.

Final decisions on tenure would be made by Wilcox.

Under the rules of the regional accrediting agency, the consolidated university must have one provost, one college for each “overarching discipline area” like business and education, and one dean for each college.

In the case of multicampus colleges like business, education and arts and sciences, the top administrator will be informally called a multicampus dean.

That means St. Petersburg will get campus deans in business, arts and sciences, and the library. The top administrator in education will be called an associate campus dean. They will all report to multi-campus deans in Tampa.

The dean of the College of Marine Science, which is based in St. Petersburg, will continue to report to the provost in Tampa but become a campus dean on local issues in St. Petersburg.

The plan also says that students in St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee will not have to pay fees “in excess of the amount necessary” to fund services on their campuses.

COURTESY OF JONAH HINEBAUGH AND USF ST. PETERSBURG

The new plan, released Thursday by USF system President Steve Currall (left), is “about as good as we could hope for,” says faculty leader Ray Arsenault.

Student fees “shall not be used to pay for a disproportionate share of fixed costs or otherwise be used to subsidize the costs of services being provided primarily to students on the parent campus,” the plan says.

‘Preliminary blueprint’ Just five weeks ago, a “preliminary blueprint” from Currall called for substantially lower profiles for the St. Petersburg and SarasotaManatee campuses and their chancellors.

Under that plan, Wilcox would control all academics and student life from his office in Tampa. Tadlock and Holbrook would supervise only non-academic staff and “university advancement” activities like fundraising and alumni relations.

Almost immediately, however, Currall’s blueprint ran into hot, loud opposition.

Campus veterans and critics like St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman called that plan a bald power play that would turn the two smaller campuses into oftenneglected satellites – just as they were before they earned separate accreditation (St. Petersburg in 2006, SarasotaManatee in 2011).

They accused Currall of ignoring the recommendations of the consolidation task force, which called for the smaller campuses to become branch campuses as defined by the regional agency that accredits the university.

More significantly, critics said, Currall was ignoring the Legislature’s mandate that St. Petersburg and SarasotaManatee become full branch

campuses.

In public, key Pinellas legislators forcefully warned Currall not to try maneuvering around the law.

Although the new plan seemed to clear significant hurdles on Thursday, there are still miles to go before consolidation takes effect on July 1.

“Further refinements” to the plan will be presented to the USF system Board of Trustees on Dec. 3, Currall and the regional chancellors said, and a “substantive change prospectus” must be sent to the accrediting agency

by March 15.

Final approval must come from the Florida Board of Governors, the agency that oversees the state’s public universities.

Buried in a bill Release of the revised plan for consolidation is the latest development in a twistand-turn saga that began in January 2018.

That’s when a proposal to abolish the independent accreditation of the two smaller campuses suddenly appeared in a few sentences buried in a 52-page bill in the state Legislature.

The chief architect of the surprise proposal was Sprowls, an influential lawmaker who was already poised to become speaker of the House in 2021-2022.

Sprowls said his reason was simple: USF Tampa was in line to become the third state school to win designation as a “preeminent state research university,” an honor that would bring about $6 million in extra funds to

the Tampa campus.

If St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee were part of a single, unified university, Sprowls said, they would share in the bounty.

In St. Petersburg, Sprowls’ proposal brought howls of dismay and protest from campus veterans and friends of the campus in Pinellas County’s government and business circles.

The campus had grown and thrived since winning independent accreditation in 2006, they said, and consolidation could signal a return to the unhappy era when St. Petersburg was a powerless outpost of Tampa.

Sprowls and the Legislature ignored pleas to shelve or delay their plan. But lawmakers did amend it with language designed to guarantee that the distinct identities of St. Petersburg and SarasotaManatee would be preserved.

Legislators also mandated creation of the task force to help plan for consolidation and insure that the smaller campuses would be heard.

Almost immediately, however, the administration of then-President Genshaft served notice that retaining Tampa’s newly won preeminence status was its top priority – not the identities and wishes of St. Petersburg and SarasotaManatee.

Genshaft and the Board of Trustees created a consolidation planning apparatus and gave it status equal to the task force.

A Chicago consultant they hired produced recommendations with a pro-Tampa tilt, and Genshaft pointedly declined to

embrace the task force recommendation that St. Petersburg and SarasotaManatee become full branch campuses with substantial authority over academics and budgets.

That brought more protest from St. Petersburg. It also prompted Sprowls and the Legislature to amend the statutes again earlier this year, stipulating that the two smaller campuses must be branch campuses as defined by the regional agency that accredits the university.

In his first plan for consolidation – which he called a “preliminary blueprint” – Currall ignored that requirement, according to St. Petersburg and its allies.

“The darkest moment in the history of the (St. Petersburg) campus,” said faculty leader Arsenault.

“As expected, a process fraught with secrecy and politics,” said St. Petersburg Mayor Kriseman.

“Awfully tilted toward the main campus in Tampa,” said the Tampa Bay Times in an editorial, adding that the plan “neuters the regional chancellors” in St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee.

Meanwhile, legislative leaders like Sprowls and state Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, said they expected the university system and trustees to follow both the letter and spirit of the law they enacted earlier this year.

That criticism helped send Currall – who took office on July 1 – back to the drawing board, which in turn led to the revised plan he released Thursday.

Correction A caption in the Oct. 14 issue misidentified Bryce Vine — the opening act for the homecoming concert — as Gunna, who was the headliner.

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What they’re saying about the new plan

By The Crow’s Nest Staff

A

dramatic reversal.

A lot to applaud.

Still work to be done.

Here is some of the reaction to the revised consolidation plan that was released Thursday by USF system President Steve Currall.

Jadzia “Jazzy” Duarte and Hannah Rose Wanless, president and vice president of Student Government: We’re pleased by Version 2.0 of the consolidation plan. We feel that some of the concerns that were brought up after the first version were addressed. A major point of appreciation is the Regional Chancellor aspect, as it’s stated that each branch campus’s Regional Chancellor will have autonomy and guiding authority over its staff and budget.

We’re excited about the opportunities raised with the expansion of the different colleges at USF. President Duarte met with President Currall, Dr. Tadlock, Dr. Holbrook, Rep. Sprowls, Dr. Wilcox, and other administrators who were happy to answer any questions/comments that came up during the first reading of this consolidation plan.

There are still some areas that we find unclear, but we do understand that there are still developments being made on the administrative side. We’re excited to see more transformations being made and are patiently awaiting Version 3.0.

Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock: This update is the next evolution of the preliminary blueprint (which Currall released Sept. 10) and outlines new investments that will help preserve the distinctive identities of each

campus while building upon areas of existing strength, engaging faculty expertise from across the entire USF. I will have clear responsibility and accountability for academic and budgetary decisions at USF St. Petersburg. Our campus board will also play an important role in that process. I will also serve as a member of the USF President’s cabinet.

All in all, version 2.0 is a solid, detailed plan showing that consolidation will bring tremendous opportunities to our campus and result in significant benefits for our students, faculty and members of the St. Petersburg and Pinellas County communities.

History professor Ray Arsenault, president of the USF St. Petersburg Faculty Senate: I think we can live with this.

Others I have talked with feel the same way.

This returns us to the branch campus status we had before (separate) accreditation (in 2006). I lived under that system for about 25 years, and it worked quite well.

We didn’t get the resources we wanted or deserved, but because now it’s tied to preeminence and consolidation, we may actually see some benefits.

When I first came (to USF) in 1980, our salaries were equal to those in Tampa. Over the years we have lost ground and the salary problem has gotten to be critical. There are a lot of inequities that need to be addressed.

There is no reason we couldn’t create a good system out of this document. Now it depends on the human variables.

Patricia Pettijohn, associate librarian at the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library and member of the USF System Faculty Council: It’s a great improvement.

There are some broad strokes there that need to be fleshed out.

They (consolidation planners) listened about the journalism school and that was important.

They listened about the need to have some type of local campus faculty structure. And they listened that we need an academic leader on this campus.

We were already a campus.

You can’t turn back the wheels of time on us. We are so clearly a campus. We have our own culture, residents and students.

What we need going forward is more support for research, labs and teaching assistants.

For our faculty to meet demands for high research, we are going to need support.

We need to work on issues of salary parity. St. Petersburg and Sarasota sometimes make substantially less.

Thomas Hallock, English professor Consolidation in my particular program, English, is problematic. It’s very difficult to fit the small English program at USF St. Petersburg into Tampa’s much larger department.

But our strength is not really the curriculum, it’s the people — our students and faculty. So my goal next semester will be to teach the problem.

Consolidation is a train

wreck, but no learning situation in life is ever completely organized or crystal clear, so I will ask students to think critically about where we are institutionally. Let’s study the train wreck.

Thomas W. Smith, political science professor and honors program director: There is a lot to applaud here. It’s a pretty dramatic reversal of where we were a few weeks ago. Most importantly, the plan empowers regional chancellors in academic matters.

The challenge now will be to ensure that decision making and resources reach every corner of USF. For students, that means equal opportunities and access. For faculty, that means equity in salaries and parity in teaching loads.

Jay Sokolovsky, anthropology professor and department chair: I think it’s a real tribute to Martin Tadlock’s work both on the campus and outside the campus that we have, at least what we have.

The most important thing is that this has been a significant change from the first iteration of the consolidation proposal.

There’s still a lot of things that have to be worked out, but I’m much more optimistic today than I was when the provost came to campus and tried to argue for for the other plan, although he did say things could change, and obviously they have for the better.

So to that extent, our voice now has at least been heard.

But this will be an ongoing

issue and battle that our campus has to be wary of. We have to make sure that these things are actually fully implemented.

The Tampa Bay Times editorial board: The revisions revealed Thursday are a substantial improvement, benefit the entire university and treat the St Petersburg campus much more fairly.

While there are details left to be resolved, this 2.0 consolidation blueprint better reflects the spirit of the 2018 law and offers a reasonable path for the branch campuses to maintain and enhance their unique identities within the major research university.

Overall, USF consolidation 2.0 is a big step in the right direction for the entire university, which will have one accreditation, one set of admissions standards and one diploma.

It should benefit all students regardless of whether they are primarily based in Tampa, St. Petersburg or Sarasota. And it reflects well on (state Rep. Chris) Sprowls, who remained engaged and pushed for revisions, and on Currall, who has proven to be a quick study and a good listener in less than four months on the job.

Ultimately, though, the USF consolidation plan provides only the road map for “one university geographically distributed.’’

The success of a unified USF really will depend on the good intentions and collaboration of university administrators and faculty across three campuses to work for the common good.

Immigration debate: Build the wall or welcome them all?

By Carrie Pinkard clarice2@mail.usf.edu

T

he USF St. Petersburg College Democrats and Turning Point USA returned to their podiums for a second debate last week. It proved to be more formal — and more popular — than their first.

Instead of the small Student Life Center multipurpose room, the event was held in the University Student Center ballrooms. The groups traded casual jeans and T-shirts for business attire, and Turning Point USA’s one “Make America Great Again” hat became three.

The topic of the debate, moderated by Community and Civility’s Naya Payne, was immigration.

“Let me first start by saying, build the wall and build it tall,” said Turning Point USA President Kacy Cartmell to kick off the debate.

“Our club stands firmly against illegal immigration in all forms, whether overstaying visas or coming across the Southern border,” she continued.

College Democrats President Trevor Martindale began his opening statement by criticizing President Trump’s

“divisive rhetoric” surrounding immigration. He said using words such as “illegals” and referring to immigration as an “invasion” demeans immigrants.

“We must humanize immigrants and find a humanitarian solution to immigration,” Martindale said.

One of the first questions was whether employers should be punished for hiring undocumented immigrants.

“I think immigrants, whether they’re legal or illegal, should be able to get jobs. I think if an employer unknowingly hires someone who is undocumented they shouldn’t be reprimanded for that,” said College Democrats Vice President Karla Correa.

“All I have to say is if you do something illegal in this country, there are consequences,” said Turning Point USA’s Vice President Lexi Bishop. Her response got a smattering of applause from the crowd.

Debaters were also asked whether they thought Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE, should be abolished.

“I do believe that we should

abolish ICE,” Correa said. “If we don’t abolish it, it needs to be completely reformed. A lot of immigrants are getting deported just for being undocumented.

They’re not committing criminal acts, they’re just undocumented.

“ICE was established to arrest felons, not families, and they’re breaking this. If they’re not holding up their part of the bargain, we should abolish them.”

Cartmell disagreed.

“We should not abolish ICE,” she said. “They have a job to do.

I get that separating families is bad but it definitely did not start with this president.”

The conversation then turned to immigration detention centers.

Martindale said these centers are vastly underfunded and often harbor inhumane conditions.

“You see videos of little kids crying and people screaming for help. You see them explaining that they’re malnourished, explaining that they’re being abused either physically or sexually by employees of the centers,” Martindale said. “I think in an ideal, humanitarian approach, we would not underfund these centers and let these people be treated like

they’re not human.”

“If the country wasn’t 22 trillion dollars in debt, maybe we could find the extra funding for it,” Bishop responded.

Payne asked the students if immigrants can ever fully assimilate to American culture, again getting mixed responses from the groups.

“I think America is built on having multiple cultures, being extremely diverse and celebrating those cultures together,” Martindale said.

“Just last week, I had a customer come into my store and they yelled at my coworker because my coworker did not know how to speak Spanish,” said Turning Point USA Secretary Andrew Vandenburg.

“The customer didn’t know how to speak English, and refused to learn, but they called my coworker stupid becaue they didn’t know how to speak Spanish.

“That’s not American. If you are in America, you speak English, OK?” The groups were asked what they think of President Donald Trump’s plan to build a border wall along the southern border of the United States.

“There’s only so much we can do,” Bishop said. “If building the wall is one of those things, then by all means build the wall.”

Correa disagreed, calling the wall a “physical representation of the cultural and racial insults the president has used since the beginning of his campaign announcement.”

“It is a wasteful expenditure of taxpayer dollars,” she said. “It endangers wildlife, and it stamps on property rights of people in Mexico and the United States.”

While the debate was politically charged, it was never hostile. The audience seemed to diffuse the tension through laughter instead of rage.

One new feature of this debate was that the floor was opened to audience members to ask questions. Many more hands were raised than time allowed, but after a few questions and closing statements, the debate concluded.

Given the success of the event, and the passion of the participating students, it’s likely the next debate is right around the corner.

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Meet the candidates for Student Government senate

By Katlynn Mullins and Carrie Pinkard katlynnm@mail.usf.edu and clarice2@mail.usf.edu

N

ine students will seek your vote in Student Government’s midterm senate elections next week.

Each candidate needs 25 votes to win a spot, and each voter can choose up to five candidates. To qualify, candidates needed a cumulative 2.5 GPA as an undergraduate and to be enrolled in at least six credit hours.

Last year, there were approximately 4,500 students at USF St Petersburg. Only 256 casted votes in the midterm election.

With consolidation ahead, and Student Government changing with it, this term may only run through the spring semester.

Voting will take place from Oct. 28 through 29.

Polling locations will be released closer to the election date.

love to be a part of that,” Bonilla said. “I have always been passionate about making my peers feel happy and included, and Student Government is definitely a direct way to do that.”

Bonilla said she thinks SG operates like a “oneway mirror,” and that students don’t always see the impact it has on campus. If elected, she wants to be an SG member that students feel comfortable approaching with their problems.

One unique change she wants to bring to campus is more printers. She wants to add printers on every floor of the residence halls so students don’t have to feel unsafe walking to the library at night to print their homework.

Bonilla said she has a passion for politics and wants to bring this to her position in SG. “I have a very good understanding of politics and current events in our country, and if elected, I will make sure to fully understand the politics and current events of USFSP so I can effectively take part and make a change in the best ways I can,” Bonilla said.

“fresh, innovative ideas” along with him.

He would like the university to partner with South Central St. Petersburg, a part of town he feels has “been kind of forgotten.” It’s poverty stricken, he said, and “seems like it could be renovated and helped. It just needs someone to help it.”

He would like the same to be done with the university’s harborside.

Castle would like more transparency with the budget as well. He’s heard a lot of students “don’t know what Student Government does with their money.”

He feels that the people he speaks with set him apart. He’s talked with students that float through college with ease and others who have had to “fight and claw to get into college.”

“I feel like I’m in touch with all of these groups,” he said. “And that’s something I like to think makes me unique.”

COURTESY OF CHASE COOLEY

COURTESY OF MIA BONILLA

Name: Mia Bonilla Major: Forensic studies and justice Year: Freshman Hometown: Valrico Email: bonilla3@mail.usf. edu Mia Bonilla is originally from Bronx, New York, but moved to Valrico for high school. Her platform for Student Government focuses on kindness and inclusion. She said USF St. Petersburg feels like home to her, and she wants to make it a home for all students.

“I think it’s important to foster an environment where every student feels like they have a place to belong here, and I would

COURTESY OF ISAIAH CASTLE

Name: Isaiah Castle Major: Political science Year: Sophomore Hometown: St. Petersburg Email: isaiahcastle@mail. usf.edu Isaiah Castle says he’s always enjoyed helping people and wants to do it for the rest of his life.

He feels the first step toward this goal would be getting involved in Student Government.

Though he’s a sophomore, he started at USF St. Petersburg in August and is bringing

Name: Chase Cooley Major: History Year: Sophomore Hometown: Oldsmar Email: chase25@mail.usf. edu Chase Cooley is running for reelection.

He said he loves being able to represent students and have a community to be part of.

This term, he wants to implement something similar to the Support-ABull Market food pantry or the “communal clothing rack,” but with school supplies. Students would be able to borrow supplies, like a stapler before class, take what they need or donate what they don’t at the end of the year.

Cooley also said that SG meetings feel

closed off. He suggested streaming meetings to keep students informed on the changes brought about by consolidation.

“I think SG gets sort of a bad reputation,” Cooley said. “Being a bit more open and honest would help (counter that).”

Cooley believes his major separates him from the rest of the candidates.

He said it’s fine that a lot of SG members are political science majors, but “if you only play politics, it can be a tough environment. It’s hard to get things done.”

COURTESY OF KATHERINE FISHMAN

Name: Katherine Fishman Major: Political science Year: Senior Hometown: Safety Harbor Email: bsfishman@mail. usf.edu This is Katherine Fishman’s third election.

After almost two full terms in senate, she wants to continue her service to the student body and is striving for a more “open and transparent Student Government.”

If elected, Fishman hopes to implement a committee to help students connect with the city. There was a similar committee in the past, but Fishman said it never “made good on its promises.”

Whether through volunteer opportunities or events in the community, she said she wants to make “students aware of what resources there are.”

One change Fishman plans to push for is making budgeting more transparent to students.

“That is the most important thing we do,” Fishman said. She wants to make sure students “know exactly what is going on

and that everyone is getting a fair chance, because they didn’t last year.”

COURTESY OF JONATHAN HATZISTEFANOU

Name: Jonathan Hatzistefanou Major: Political science Year: Sophomore Hometown: Stewart Email: jonathanhatz@ mail.usf.edu Sophomore Jonathan Hatzistefanou, “like anybody,” thinks Student Government is a good place to start as a junior politician.

Recently, he’s heard a lot about “infighting and the dysfunction of Student Government,” referring to the “impeachment crisis” of spring semester.

He said it’s important that USF St. Petersburg has a “functional Student Government.”

He sees himself as a source of stability and believes members of SG seem to have their “own little personal agenda and way that they want it to specifically run,” but working that way doesn’t get things done.

Making sure everybody gets along and having the funding needed for student activities and clubs are what’s important to him.

“I’m willing to do what others won’t,” Hatzistefanou said. “I’m willing to go to the extra meetings… Sit down and talk with everyone and see what they actually want.

And not just pass bills just because that’s what we need to do. I actually need to make sure what we’re doing is right for everyone.”

5 October 21, 2019

COURTESY OF VERONICA JIMENEZ

Name: Veronica Jimenez Major: Political science Year: Sophomore Hometown: Miami Email: vjimenez4@mail. usf.edu Veronica Jimenez, who’s running for reelection, grew up in Miami, where she became interested in politics during her Advanced Placement Government class as a senior in high school.

Jimenez is passionate about political science as a major and as a way of life. She serves as senate president pro tempore and is a member of the League of Women Voters.

She said she’s learned a lot through her position and wants to continue growing in the role.

“This position gives me a chance to connect with the student body and organizations on campus, as well as represent USFSP,” she said. “It has also given me so much experience in the legislative field, as I would love to pursue something in the legislative and government field.”

Jimenez said her patient personality helps her succeed in Student Government.

“I focus on being levelheaded when it comes to attending meetings and inputting my view points, and patience when constituents or any senator asks for help or advice.”

KATLYNN MULLINS | THE CROW’S NEST

Name: Madeline Rhodes Major: Interdisciplinary social sciencesInternational relations and sociology Year: Junior Hometown: Salt Lake City Email: rhodes10@mail.usf. edu Junior Madeline Rhodes is a transfer student who lives on campus.

“I’m actually a military brat,” she said. Originally from Salt Lake City, she moved with her parents to Clearwater in December.

Rhodes wants to get involved on campus and feels this is where her skill set applies most. Though

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she lives on campus, she was a commuter before she transferred, and, while also being an out-of-state student, understands a lot of situations.

“I don’t know what the demographic of the senate looks like now, but I think it’s mostly first-year students,” she said. “I know there are a lot of problems that transfer students deal with, and I want to act as an advocate for those students, on top of dealing with other issues.”

With the campus’ large commuter culture, Rhodes would also like students to get more involved. One goal of hers is for students to feel like they can email her with “any problems” they may have.

Rhodes also wants to advocate for higher wages for employees in The Reef. She’s spoken with some of them and thinks they “add a lot of value to the campus, but they’re definitely underpaid.”

COURTESY OF CAITLYN ROLAND

Name: Caitlyn Roland Major: Biology with a concentration in biomedical science Year: Sophomore Hometown: Gainesville Email: caitlyngrace@mail. usf.edu Caitlyn Roland said she was intimidated about coming to USF St. Petersburg at first, but now she feels at home and loves the school and the city.

Roland said that being more involved on campus helped with her transition to college, and she wants to use her position in SG to help students find a club they belong in.

“I want to run for senate because I feel like student involvement is a very integral aspect of the college experience,” Roland said. “I want to be able to equip clubs and students with what they need to thrive and succeed.”

She said one thing she would want to change about SG is how it relays information to students.

“I feel that most students don’t listen to minutes and attend general assembly meetings, so a social media entity that recaps meetings and informs students about important events would be a great addition,” Roland said.

Also running for senate is sophomore Eran Fruehauf, who did not respond to The Crow’s Nest request for an interview.

6 October 21, 2019

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I’m not basic, you’re basic

THE CROW’S NEST The Crow’s Nest is committed to providing its readers with news relevant to the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and its surrounding community. The Crow’s Nest abides by the highest ethical standards and focuses on stories that help readers make informed decisions on current issues. We take seriously the public’s trust in our news reporting and strive to uphold the highest standards of reporting as defined by the Society of Professional Journalists. Opinions in this newspaper do not necessarily represent those of the administration, faculty or student body.

Reach Us USFSP Student Life Center Office 2400 140 Seventh Ave. S. St. Petersburg, FL, 33701 (727) 873-4113 usfcrowsnest@gmail.com

Staff Editor-in-Chief Emily Wunderlich

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Managing Editor Dylan Hart Online Editor Katlynn Mullins News Editor James Bennett III Arts & Life Editor Carrie Pinkard Op-Ed & Feature Editor Jonah Hinebaugh Staff Reporter Savannah Carr

By James Bennett III Senior journalism and digital communication major jamesbennett@mail.usf.edu

Y

ou hate to see it.

Every year, as our (supposedly) tropical paradise begins to cool down and all the jack-o’-lantern candy baskets emerge, a small hoard of brainlets come out of the woodwork to bash on pumpkin spice.

They never even offer a well-thought-out reason for their hatred of pumpkin spice, either. They simply assert that “pumpkin spice is for basic bitches,” and scurry off to find some other bandwagon to hop on.

The simple fact that most pumpkin spice-hating misanthropes forget is that pumpkin spice is a perfectly valid addition to a plethora of dishes.

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Marketing Manager Brianna Rodriguez Adviser Rob Hooker

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using, cookie cutter, middleto-upper class people so much, there’s a good chance you’ve got a problem with the mentality that makes that behavior so prevalent — not the individual segments, such as an affinity toward pumpkin spice, that come together to make a “basic” person.

The only problem here is that anyone who blurts out, “Oh, you like pumpkin spice? You must be basic,” is likely far too engaged with their own “basic” pleasures, such as hipster music that “you’ve probably never heard of before,” or sharing memes in their group chat, to realize that they’re just as guilty as the so-called “basic” people for enjoying things that plenty of other people have already found enjoyment in. Normies.

Just say “wake up sheeple,” honk your little clown nose and go back to the flavorless dungeon where you belong.

Unless you’re in the process of ripping up your social security card and marching into the wilderness, I don’t want to hear a peep about pumpkin spice lovers being basic.

Meanwhile, I’ll appreciate

my pumpkin spiced coffee, hot sauce, cookies and beer as the only indicator that the seasons have changed in Florida. Halloween and Thanksgiving are rad, your hatred of pumpkin spice is sad and you should all feel bad.

Another hole in pumpkin spice-hater logic is the broadness of their statement that pumpkin spice is for basic people.

Surely the combination of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and allspice is incapable of producing some magical transformation that could turn even Charles Manson into a “basic bitch.” If, by chance, it does somehow strip people of their assumed individuality, I’ve got some fairly creative suggestions for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Otherwise, I hardly think enjoying pumpkin spice implies an innate gravitation toward mainstream culture.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to chug any pumpkin spiced drink I can get my hands on while listening to doom metal records and playing Dungeons & Dragons.

Five horror films to watch this Halloween

Design Staff

Creative Director Mary Kate “MK” Brittain Photography Editor Thomas Iacobucci

Their misguided hatred of pumpkin spice makes about as much sense as saying “salt is for poor people.” Even worse, their thoughtless dismissal of the delectable autumn hallmark is comparable to people who say mayonnaise is for white people — as if the color of your skin has anything to do with the food you enjoy.

Perhaps their anger would be more productive if directed toward the huge corporations that peddle it. Starbucks is a great example; sure, it markets pumpkin spice lattes like its life depends on it, but I imagine you would do the same if you had to rely on special flavors to mask the stale, over-roasted and all around horrible taste of your overpriced coffee.

Support your local coffee shops that know how to prepare a good espresso instead of the “venti” sized corporation that somehow always gets your name wrong.

Better yet, pumpkin spice-haters could turn their frustration toward the process of becoming “basic.” If you want to make fun of mall-shopping, “The Office”-loving, iPhone-

By Bryce Lawson Junior journalism and digital communication major Bryce11@mail.usf.edu

F

or the month of October, I decided to watch a horror movie each day.

For some, that might be an overload of monster madness. But if you’re waiting until Halloween night to have your own mini fright fest, here are the five films you should choose.

1. The Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954) Showcasing my favorite of the Universal Monsters and shot in 3D, this film takes place in the Amazon, where a team of geologists finds the skeletal remains of a webbed creature.

This leads to further investigation by the team, who eventually runs into the creature.

The creature, in a way, comes off as a sympathetic

character to me, despite being portrayed as the monster. He’s just an animal living in his habitat and defending himself against intruders. The design of the creature is impressive and holds up to this day, going on to influence future “Best Picture” winner, “The Shape of Water.”

2. Cronos (1993) In honor of Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, I wanted to include the debut feature of Mexican director Guillermo del Toro. In this Mexican vampire film, del Toro tells the story of an antiques dealer who discovers the “Cronos device” – a scarablooking amulet that soon turns the lead, played by veteran Argentinian actor Federico Luppi, into an immortal with a taste for blood.

Unlike other vampire films, this film’s point of view is from the vampire’s granddaughter. The theme of children put into circumstances beyond their control is used in many other del Toro films.

3. A Bay of Blood, aka Twitch of the Death Nerve (1971) This Italian horror masterpiece from the giallo genre features some of the

best kills ever put to film.

Giallo is a genre of Italian literature and film usually dealing with horror and mystery detective elements. Director Mario Bava is considered a pioneer of the genre.

The movie details a string of mysterious murders that occur around a scenic bay. You can definitely see how this film had an impact on the slasher film boom in the ‘80s. The kills in this film are so influential that “Friday the 13th Part III” pretty much copied a majority of them shotfor-shot, including the skewer death scene. In giallo films, the plot is pretty much secondary while a blend of style and violence becomes the emphasis. If you’re a fan of gore, this is definitely the film for you.

4. Phantom of the Paradise (1974) Fans of “Rocky Horror Picture Show” should definitely give this one a shot. Taking elements from “The Phantom of the Opera,” Brian De Palma’s film is about a disfigured composer, played by William Finley, who writes music for his lover to perform. A record producer, played by Paul

Williams, who also scored the picture, exploits the composer to open up his new rock palace, resulting in the composer seeking revenge as a phantom.

I would definitely consider this film a rock opera due to the numerous musical numbers. All of De Palma’s cinematic tropes are on display, including a tracking shot influenced by the opening of Orson Welles’1958 classic, “Touch of Evil.”

5. Kwaidan (1965) One of my favorite anthology horror films, directed by Masaki Kobayashi, is based on Japanese folk tales featuring four unrelated vignettes. In Japanese horror films, the theme of ghosts or spirits haunting someone is often present — think “Ringu” and “The Grudge.”

“The Woman of the Snow” sequence in Kwaidan is a master class of set design. The eerie Japanese blizzard setting looks like a watercolor painting come to life. In a lot of anthology films, there are usually one or two vignettes that don’t work as well as the rest, but in Kwaidan, all four stand on their own.

7 October 21, 2019

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Former FSU softball star joins USFSP nursing porgram

By Katlynn Mullins katlynnm@mail.usf.edu

M

eghan King enjoys connecting people.

Whether it’s athletes to oncology patients or herself with children, she finds the two wires that were meant to connect and puts them together.

As a child, and throughout college, she played softball.

Though she enjoyed it, there was always something else on her mind — nursing.

At a young age, King lost a close friend to cancer. It made her realize she wanted to pursue a career in pediatric oncology.

“I feel like my purpose is to help those families in one of the toughest times… to bring light to a dark situation,” King said.

In February, the Florida State University softball team adopted Hayden Stone, then 11, through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, which is a nonprofit that works to pair young patients with brain tumors and other types of cancer with local athletes in an effort to raise awareness, according to the nonprofit’s website.

King was the team’s pitcher at the time.

She said she and Hayden have talked at least once a week since she left Tallahassee. They’ve both

traveled to see each other, and King is visiting Tallahassee in the coming weeks for Hayden’s first haircut since completing chemotherapy — a milestone among patients.

Nursing would give King the opportunity to connect with children in situations similar to Hayden’s.

When King attended FSU, she volunteered at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital with child life specialist Olivia Vincent.

Vincent’s job is to work with patients to “make sure the child is as comfortable as possible during their hospital experience,” King said.

This could mean immersing the patient in virtual reality while getting an IV started or explaining complicated procedures in a way they understand.

From catheter starts to spinal taps, King worked with Vincent, but also watched the nurses.

The experience taught her what she could do in place of a specialist if the hospital didn’t have one and how to deal with grief.

Professionals “respond to every single pediatric death,” King said.

She learned coping mechanisms alongside Vincent, but they also created a new program.

King organized and facilitated patient visits with other FSU athletic teams in her time at the hospital.

From this came the idea for an Adopt-A-Patient program, similar to Friends of Jaclyn, but in conjunction with FSU Athletics. It’s still in the works, but the idea was born before she left.

Outside the hospital, a second career in softball was thriving.

King spent her freshman year at FSU as a redshirt.

She traveled and practiced with the team and played in scrimmages, but never dressed out on game days.

FSU softball coach Lonni Alameda often does this with freshman pitchers so they can “get some experience under their belt,” King said.

The sport led her to Canada, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Peru and Japan with the Puerto Rican national team.

In 2018, the FSU softball team won the national championship. King feels her time playing the sport helped prepare her for a nursing career.

Communication, teamwork and every person sharing a common goal are all traits she acquired by playing softball.

The “outlet to connect with

people” can be used with patients and other people she works with.

This semester, she’s at USF St. Petersburg, enrolled in the College of Nursing’s inaugural advanced second degree cohort on the St. Petersburg campus.

She graduated from FSU with a bachelor’s in family and child sciences with a minor in psychology.

King chose the St. Petersburg campus because she’s familiar with the area, and her “dream hospital” is Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, which is within walking distance from the school.

She’s been on two tours at the hospital already and has fallen ”in love with everything.” She’s met hospital staff and facilitated patient visits with athletes.

King spoke at a softball tournament hosted by ESPN earlier this year. She recruited a few members from each team and set up patient visits with the hospital.

In class, she’s going to be learning about injections within the coming weeks, and when clinicals come around, she’ll focus on mastering IV starts.

“I’ve seen that it’s one of the hardest things in the

COURTESY OF MEGAN KING

King has wanted to pursue pediatric oncology from a very young age. pediatric field, and especially with child oncology patients; they’re used to getting poked so much,” King said.

She wants to make it easier on them.

She’s excited for the opportunity to complete her clinicals at All Children’s and feels “it’s a great opportunity to learn from some really incredible nurses.”

“Being able to go to school here… and being able to do my pediatric clinicals there,” King said. “It’s always been a dream of mine.”

W h at to do t his we e k : Oc t . 21 -27 MONDAY With the 2019 SHINE Mural Festival in full swing, Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters, 1975 Third Ave. S, will donate a wall as a part of the festival. Audrey Jennifer has been hired to paint the mural throughout the week, but she will be there on Monday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. People are invited to see her work and enjoy free coffee, music and giveaways.

This is a free event.

open mic night from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. The funniest comic will win a $50 cash prize.

Attendees are required to purchase at least two items while there.

Get your mind right for the week ahead at Monday Night Yoga at Grassroots Kava House, 957 Central Ave. The class runs from 7 to 8:15 p.m. This is a free event with kava and kratom drinks available for purchase.

Bring your own mat.

Get in shape before binging on Halloween candy at Spook-N-Run at 3 Daughters Brewing, 222 22nd St. S. The 3-mile run will include a free post-run drink. The event is from 6 to 9 p.m.

TUESDAY SubCentral at The Iberian Rooster, 475 Central Ave. N, will host a stand-up comedy

WEDNESDAY Learn some more about international issues at the International Club meeting in the University Student Center Coral Room from 4 to 5 p.m.

THURSDAY Campus Recreation will host a SHINE Festival bike tour from 5 to 7 p.m.

The free tour will start at

the Campus Recreation building, 140 7th Ave. S. Students who need to rent a bike must register online beforehand.

The Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Drive NE, will host its second annual MFA Zombie Thriller Dance from 7 to 9 p.m. The dance will take place on the front steps of the museum.

This is a free event.

FRIDAY The Bends, 919 First Ave. N, will host a rock show featuring San Diego band Schizophocis starting at 9 p.m. This is a no cover event.

Show off your Halloween costume from 6 to 9 p.m. at Black Crow Coffee Old Northeast’s GrooveO-Ween Costume Spooktacular, 722 Second St. N. Local electronic music producer Terrapin will perform. This is a free event.

SATURDAY There will be a SHINE Festival Grand Finale event at The Factory St. Pete, 2788 Fairfield Ave. S, from 2 to 7 p.m. The festivities will include art installations, mural reveals, live music, panel discussions, a pop-up market and more. The event is free to attend.

After the grand finale, head over to Green Bench Brewing Co., 1133 Baum Ave. N, for Spooktacular Screamfest 2019 – a Halloween-inspired horror film festival and costume party featuring dozens of local Florida filmmakers – from 7 to 11 p.m. Films will be shown in the beer garden, which is open to people of all ages, and Webb’s City Cellar.

The event is free, but don’t be a prune – buy a drink if you’re of age.

SUNDAY The Stadium of Screams and Fall Festival will be at Al Lang Stadium, 230 First St. S, from 1 to 5 p.m.

Family-friendly attractions will include a pumpkin patch, face-painting, soccer drills and more. Get your tickets online for $8. All proceeds will go to the St. Petersburg Free Clinic and Tampa Bay Rowdies Soccer Fund.

St. Pete Pride will host a HallowQueens - Spooktacular Drag Competition and Festival from 7 to 10 p.m. at Out of the Closet thrift store, 3400 26th Ave. S. The free event will feature six drag queens who’ll compete as attendees participate in a costume contest and enjoy local art, a photo booth and refreshments.

8 October 21, 2019

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Station House celebrates new business and new artists

Story and photos by Patrick Tobin Contributor

T

he scent of spray paint filled the air on the fourth floor of Station House, 260 First Ave. S, as USF St. Petersburg student Diana Bryson began a panel discussion about emerging artists.

While two muralists sprayed away, filling their 10-foot wooden panels with brightly colored lines and stenciled shapes, Bryson and six other local art community leaders sat in antique armchairs and spoke about the experiences and importance of young and emerging artists.

“Working with people that don’t always know what they want to do is very interesting – strange, sometimes frustrating – but very necessary,” said Denzel Johnson-Green, house manager of Studio@620.

“For someone that’s coming out into the community and willing to express themselves… That has to be nurtured,” he said, stressing the importance of flexibility when working with emerging artists.

The discussion upstairs was just a small part of the much larger “Reveal: Emerge” event, which took place on

Oct. 18 to celebrate Station House’s recent expansion into the Hyde Park neighborhood of Tampa as Hyde House.

Taking up four of the building’s five floors, the event was a joint effort by Station House, SHINE St. Petersburg Mural Festival and Ichicoro Ane. While the panel came to a close, two floors down, crowds steadily streamed into the main event. Several live music acts, organized by Swamp Sister Booking, provided the backdrop for a celebration of art, music and culture.

Eventgoers sipped on cocktails and watched closely as a cluster of muralists filled

their wooden panels with various scenes, shapes and colors. People rifled through racks of clothing set up along the walls from the many popup shops around the venue.

An old, rickety elevator carried groups of people up and down the building, in which each floor had its own distinct feel.

Tucked in a corner on the second floor, down a short hallway, bright lights shone from a side room in the otherwise dimly lit venue. Here, in a small room with walls of mirror and glass, Bryson’s Emerge Art Exhibition took form on the walls, windows and floor.

Spray paint lies on a tarp next to a muralist’s panel.

A visitor walks through the Emerge Art Exhibition, curated by Diana Bryson. The exhibit featured artists from around the world.

Bryson, who is finishing up a bachelor’s degree in art history with a minor in entrepreneurship, has curated exhibits before, but she says this was her first time curating one where she didn’t personally know many of the artists.

“I worked on Instagram and I reached out to universities around the United States and around the globe,” she said. “I basically just reached out to them and I stalked them on the internet.”

The pieces in the exhibit range in style from the “fragmented shapes” of

Rhonda Massel Donovan’s “Window Fences” – an oil and acrylic on unstretched canvas – to Matthew Campbell’s “Pantsy,” which looks like an oddly shaped pillow resting on the floor.

As a cover of Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love” played back in the dimly lit room, and more people wandered into the exhibit, Bryson described her purpose for the exhibit.

“I hope people walk away with kind of a new, fresh perspective on what emerging artists are creating,” she said.

“I just really wanted to give people a shot that I felt like deserved it.”

Boyd Hill preserves more than nature Story and photo by Annabella Keim Contributor

T

here’s a living museum that not many people know about just outside of downtown St. Petersburg.

The Pinellas Pioneer Settlement, 2900 31st St. S, has open houses the first Saturday morning of every month so people have the opportunity to experience American history firsthand.

Set during the turn of the century, this museum — hidden within the Boyd Hill Nature Preserve — is filled with all kinds of historical buildings: a sawmill; a blacksmith; a sunflower garden; the Brantley building; an oldfashioned gas station; a print shop; a sugar mill and the Endicott house, an authentic home that was built in 1898.

Michael Bowen, a passionate volunteer who’s worked at the settlement since 1989, shared his experiences while he gave a personal tour of the sawmill, Endicott house and gas station. He’s seen the park grow from just the Brantley building and the Endicott house to what it is today.

The exterior of the Brantley building and the print shop.

“Everybody knows, just come down here and ask for Mike,” Bowen said. He describes the park as a “hidden gem.”

Bowen and his late wife, Connie, dedicated their weekends to the settlement for decades. She loved the Endicott house and spent much of her time perfecting the summer kitchen with her decorations.

When the settlement hosted shows, she would use the old wood-burning oven in the summer kitchen to make pancakes and bacon for the folks who came through.

“My wife really enjoyed telling these stories. She would

do the research so she wasn’t just telling you a fairytale,” Bowen said.

Although his wife passed away in 2015, Bowen continues to volunteer his time in her memory. A photo of her cooking on the wood stove is on the informational sign just outside of the kitchen.

They both were responsible for helping design the gas station onsite. Modeled after an old Sinclair gas station, the city built the structure as a place for restrooms in the park.

To Bowen, it stands out like a “white elephant” among the other buildings.

Inside the gas station is

a replica Ford Model T, old fluid canisters, hubcaps to cars that no longer exist and a huge display board titled “Knucklebusters of the Past,” with at least 30 different vintage tools fastened to it.

Most of the stuff in the garage came from Bowen’s personal collection.

“I could make 10 of those boards and still have more left,’’ he said. All of his “old junk” came in handy at the park.

The sawmill, built in 1925 and still running to this day, was Bowen’s favorite spot in the park. As long as someone is standing around to watch their demonstrations, they will continue to saw.

The entire settlement depends on volunteers, but there are often not enough people who know about it or are interested enough to help during events and shows.

There used to be people stationed at each of the buildings to give in-depth tours. However, the number of volunteers has declined over

the years — and so have the number of shows, events and open buildings.

“It’s a shame. You get something like this, it’s really nice,” Bowen said. “I enjoy it or I wouldn’t be down here.”

Over at the Brantley building, there is a general store you can actually shop at, with trinkets, candy and toys from the time period. The cashier, Nancy Millard, spends her time running the store and sharing information about the park to guests. The sunflower garden is one of her favorite spots in the park.

Beside the Brantley building and the Endicott house, the other structures are replicas built in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Pinellas Pioneer Settlement is maintained by the nonprofit Pioneer Settlement and the St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation department.

Interested in volunteering? Visit the Facebook page, “Pinellas Pioneer Settlement,” give them a call at (727) 893-7326 or take a trip out to the Boyd Hill Nature Preserve.